Wash distribution system



y 1954 J. R. TUTTLE, JR., ETAL 2,633,061

WASH DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 27, 1950 L of P: Q. T LE. ,Qf. HaroLoj bab r z a zziiag.

Q5510, Clbbornag SON exzbors Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Shahnazarian,

Roselle, N. J

assignors to Standard Oil Development Company, a. corporation ofDelaware Application December 2'7, 1950, Serial No. 202,926

2 Claims.

this after being sealed up in the filter housing where it cannot beserviced.

Various types of equipment have been tried for this washing procedure,but none have been completely successful. Among the most common devicesused is a pipe perforated on its underside with a large number of holes.However, to get uniform distribution the holes must be very small. Thismakes them easy to plug and also causes the wash solvent to jet onto thecake with considerable force, washing the cake away. Oilburner typesprays have also been tried, but they too have been found to plug-upeasily due to the small orifices used. Drip cloths have been used withconsiderable success. The cloth is serrated at the bottom and thesolvent, having been distributed along the cloth, drips off theserrations. However, there is no assurance that the distribution will beeven. Thus there is a great need for a means for evenly distributingwash solvent over a wax cake without disturbing the cake and withoutrequiring servicing;

According to the present invention, the even distribution of washsolvent over a wax cake is obtained by introducing the wash solventthrough a pipe drilled with a multiplicity of small holes along the topaway from the cake. The pipe is wrapped spirally with heavy wire so thatthere is a turn of wire at each hole.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a top view of adistributor pipe according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side viewshowing how the solvent is distributed on the wax cake by the noveldistributor of this invention.

Referring to these drawings, I represents a pipe perforated along itstopside with a multiplicity of holes 2 arranged in line and wrappedspirally with wire 3. Solvent is introduced into pipe I through line 4and flows evenly out of all the holes, down around the pipe between thewindings of the wire and then drips off the wire onto cake 5 as shown inFig. 2.

The holes 2 should be large enough to avoid plugging and should bespaced far enough apart, considering the surface tension of the solvent,so that the solvent will drip off each wire separately.

The apparatus of this invention has the advantage that the holes are notlikely to plug since they need not be especially fine. The holes aredrilled in the top and are thus out of contact with any contaminatinginfluences. Furthermore, the wire assures that all the solvent whichflows out of a hole will flow around the pipe and down onto the cakedirectly below giving a very even distribution. Since the solvent fallsfreely there is a minimum of disturbance of the wax cake.

In an actual installation a pipe 2 feet long and one inch in diameterwas drilled with 1% inch holes along the top side, the centers of theholes being of an inch apart. This pipe was wound with copper wirehaving a diameter of 1 3 inch. There has been no evidence of pluggingand almost perfect distribution has been obtained at rates from 5 to '50gallons per hour per pipe, the wash liquid having a pressure 1-8 lbs.per square inch above the pressure of the filter case;

The nature of the present invention having been thus fully set forth andspecific examples of the same given, what is claimed as new and usefuland desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for evenly distributing wash solvent onto a wax cake whichcomprises in combination a pipe provided with a multiplicity ofperforations that are evenly spaced lengthwise along the top of thepipe, a wire spirally wrapped around said pipe in a manner to provideone turn of wire between each perforation, means for supplying saidsolvent to said pipe, said pipe being adapted to be positioned abovesaid waxcake.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the pipe has a diameter ofabout 1" and the perforations are 3 holes spaced about 7 betweencenters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,788,469 Mielke Jan. '13, 1931 2,104,330 Lockey Jan. 4, 19382,407,533 Brock Sept. 10, 1946 2,522,198 Shaw Sept. 12, 1950 2,555,201Nordell May 29, 1951

